Blackburn Rovers' stunning team they could name today had they kept their best players | OneFootball

There have been some high quality players at Ewood Park in the last decade

Over the years, there have been plenty of standout players to have represented Blackburn Rovers in every position.

Many of those were vital figures at Ewood Park, something which prompted other clubs to move in with big money deals to prise them away from the Lancashire outfit.

Those individuals, were, of course, missed following their exits from the club, and could have made quite a team had they been combined for Rovers.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at one of the potential best starting XIs that Blackburn could have named, had they kept their best players from the last ten years.

Goalkeeper: Thomas Kaminski

Signed in 2020 at a time when Rovers were in desperate need of a goalkeeper, Thomas Kaminski was an excellent piece of business for the club, winning Player of the Year in his debut season.

The Belgian - who forced his way into the national team while at Ewood Park - hardly made a mistake in three years at Blackburn, before being sold to Luton Town for a tidy profit in 2023.

Right-Back: Ryan Nyambe

Having come through the club's academy, Ryan Nyambe was the club's one constant, and often first-choice option at right-back, for six years between 2016 and 2022.

He made just over 200 appearances for Rovers, and it was frustrating for many that his contract was allowed to run down so he could leave for free at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Another to come through the academy, Darragh Lenihan, went onto become one of the most under-rated and reliable centre-backs in the Championship while at Blackburn.

Making over 250 appearances for the club and earning the captain's armband, he is another they will have been extremely disappointed to lose on a free transfer when his contract expired in 2022.

Centre-Back: Grant Hanley

Continuing the trend of academy graduates, Grant Hanley is another who came through those ranks to take on the captaincy at senior level for Rovers.

Another reliable presence during his time at Ewood Park, Newcastle were willing to pay a reported £5.5million to sign him in the summer of 2016, a reflection of his quality for Blackburn.

Left-Back: Marcus Olsson

Marcus Olsson followed in the footsteps of his identical twin, Martin, when he moved to Ewood Park in 2012, and he would stay there for the next four years before being sold to Derby County.

In his time at Ewood Park, the Swede was solid defensively, and also looked to offer a spark when getting forward, winning the club's Player of the Year award for the 2014-15 season.

Centre-Midfield: Tom Cairney

Initially joining on loan from Hull City in the summer of 2013, Tom Cairney made his move to Ewood Park permanent in January 2014, and was consistently one of the club's best performers.

A creator in chief in midfield, he was also capable of coming up with a spectacular goal himself, and many Blackburn fans still feel selling him to Fulham for just £3million in June 2015 was criminal.

Centre-Midfield: Adam Wharton

In truth, Adam Wharton was never going to be at Ewood Park for long before a Premier League side came in for him, as Crystal Palace did in January this year, just 18 months after his Rovers debut.

That move earned Blackburn their biggest ever sale, and even from the moment he burst onto the scene, it also felt inevitable he would play for England given his quality and composure on the ball.

Right-Winger: Adam Armstrong

Admittedly a major asset at centre-forward, Adam Armstrong was also more than capable of doing a job out wide, particularly early on in his time with the club.

Rovers' top scorer in back to back seasons, his clinical and ruthless finishing meant it was no surprise to see him to get a move to the Premier League with Southampton in 2021.

Attacking-Midfield: Sammie Szmodics

Not since the days of Alan Shearer had a Blackburn player enjoyed as prolific a campaign as Sammie Szmodics did when plundering 33 goals in all competitions last season.

Put simply, without those goals, Rovers would be playing League One football now, and the example he set with his effort too, means he will remain an icon at Ewood Park for years to come.

Left-Winger: Ben Brereton

Ben Brereton took some time to get going after joining in 2018, but once he did, he was unstoppable at times, finishing as top scorer at Ewood Park in back to back seasons from 2021 to 2023.

Those goals were vital to Blackburn's efforts to claim a top six finish in that time, and they missed out on a big fee by allowing his contract to run down and expire before he departed for free in 2023.

Centre-Forward: Jordan Rhodes

The club's joint record signing when he arrived in the summer of 2012, Jordan Rhodes proved to be very much money well spent for Rovers, firing in goals throughout his time with the club.

The striker passed the 20-goal mark in all three full seasons he spent in Lancashire, and when he left for Middlesbrough for £9million in January 2016, he had 85 goals in 169 games for Blackburn.